Knight of Fortitude
by KickFlip
Summary: A stroy centered on one of those noble defenders of the faithful: a Knight of the Orzhov Syndicate.


Knight of Fortitude

My life belongs to the church. This is the maxim I have been taught since I was a small child. My parent's lives belonged to the church, as did my grandparent's. So it fit that my life would belong to it as well. The Church of Orzhova, the Orzhov Syndicate, or just the Orzhov for short, among them is where I belong.

But I am no preacher; I simply cannot perform that duty. My role is not to preacher to the masses nor is it to convert non-believers. Rather my role is far more marshal. I have always been good at fighting, it seems I just have a knack for it. Ever since I was young I have fought for what I believe in. However it was only in the church that I gained formal training.

I took to it like a duck to water, and did well. I started out lowly, as is the church's way, as a low-level soldier. But I was not content at that position. So I studied hard and trained hard in order to advance myself. I was polite and dutiful and pious, all things a solider of the church should rightfully be. For this I was rewarded with my own command.

It seems I was well suited for that role as well. I worked to make my soldiers respect me, as I respected their hard work and dedication. Eventually they did come to respect me and we fought in the church's name, for its glory and advancement, and we did it well. I was always down there in the thick of it with my subordinates, not up in some tower. That was not my way, which was never my way.

I fought beside them against whatever Ravnica threw at us. Golgari zombies, Rakdos fiends, as long as they were the church's enemies I did not care, nor did I waver. I lost count of how many times I risked my life. But I did not complain for I knew it was my duty, my duty to the church. However I did not expect what was to come next. One day I was summoned before a pontiff: to be told I had confirmed for knighthood.

Knighthood is the highest honor a marshal member of the Orzhov could achieve, and the church had decided to bestow that honor upon me! I could scarcely believe it but accepted without hesitation. Now what your knightly duties are depends on your title, and I was dubbed a "Knight of Fortitude". I was given this title for my unwavering dedication to protecting church assets and the faithful. In my mind the title fit perfectly.

With knighthood came a bit of new training. With this new title I was held to a higher level of decorum and marshal standards, I was an elite now after all and could be lack in any way, shape, or form. I still never faulted and never wavered in my duties even though they now came with a greater level of privilege and stature then I had ever possessed before in entire life.

But this new duty did demand sacrifice. I had less time for a casual social life. I had less friends and pretty much no time for romance, but I did not weaver. Duty and the church came first, last, and always for me, especially so after I gained my title. But I still had one thing that gave me peace and contentment: listening to the priests preach.

And that is where I find myself today. I was in a moderates-sized Orzhov church, as a guest of the local Bishop, listening to one of the local preachers speak. His words, including the Orzhov key motto of "Debt is Salvation", allowed me to reaffirm my faith and calm my mind after a long week of preforming my duty. He was a good preacher, his words methodical and slow and yet so full of conviction and purpose. It was how many Orzhov priest was expected to lead his congregation.

I have heard what some Ravnicans call the Orzhov Church. "A false church" they say "A scam" they say. But when I look at this congregation, coming together in peace to listen to the priest's words, those things are not what I see. I see people getting peace of find, getting a sense of community, and getting hope from the priest and each other. If that is not religion, if that is not faith, I do not know what is.

Unfortunately the proceedings were interrupted by those repugnant pieces of filth the Gruul. A raiding party from one clan or another had decided to pay us a visit for a raid, and they seemed like the types to take no prisoners. The guards in the church, as well as myself, sprung into action to defend the faithful.

It was a long and difficult battle. I entered combat with humans, goblins, and viashino alike and they gave no quarter. Though to be fair neither did I. Eventually, after some losses of our own, we forced them into retreat. We first made sure that the faithful were okay before tending to our own injuries; it was our duty after all.

The priest then thanked us, myself the "humble knight" in particular, for our assistance. I told him that no thanks were necessary; we were merely doing our duty to defend the faithful. After that I left, back to the local Orzhov headquarters to receive my next orders, as was protocol. On the way I tried to ignore the pain that the fight against the raiders had caused, I could not afford to be weak. I protect the church and the faithful, and in return I gain purpose and peace of mind. There is no greater sacrifice and no greater reward, at least in my mind. "Debt is Salvation" and I pay my debt everyday with blood and steel. I have my faith and my duty, and that is enough for me.


End file.
